Jiroemon Kimura

Jiroemon Kimura (19 April 1897 – 12 June 2013) was a Japanesesupercentenarian, who currently holds the record for the oldest verified man ever, living to the age of 116 years, 54 days, and was also the oldest living person at the time of his death. He became the world's oldest living man and last known man born in the 1800s when Walter Breuning died on 14 April 2011. Kimura is the oldest man to get the title of oldest living man, getting the title from Walter Breuning aged 113 years, 360 days. He became the world's oldest living person after the death of Dina Manfredini on 17 December 2012. He was the ninth-oldest person ever at the time of his death.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Jiroemon Kimura was born as Kinjiro Miyake (三宅 金治郎) on 19 April 1897, in Kyotango, Kyoto, Japan; he was born in the fishing village of Kamiukawa as the 3rd of the 6 children born to farmers Morizo and Fusa Miyake, who grew rice and vegetables. He finished school at the age of 14 as the 2nd best student in his class. Kimura worked at local post offices for 45 years, starting at the age of 17 until his retirement in 1962 at the age of 65. He also worked at a government communication unit in Korea in the 1920s. Upon his return, he married his neighbor, Yae Kimura. Since his wife's family lacked in a male heir, he changed his name to Jiroemon Kimura, becoming the 9th member of the family to have that name. He, after retiring, worked as a farmer, helping his son in farming until the age of 90. Yae died at the age of 74 in 1978.

Personal life

4 of Kimura's 5 siblings lived until at least 90, and his youngest brother died at the age of 100. Kimura had 7 children (5 surviving), 14 grandchildren (13 surviving), 25 great grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren. Kimura was health conscious and active. According to his grandson's widow, Eiko Miyake, he was a disciplined, serious man when he was younger, and even when he drank with his brothers, he would sit straight and keep quiet. On his 114th birthday, Kimura mentioned his survival of the 1927 Kita Tango earthquake that hit Kyoto and killed over 3,000 people. Kimura was presented with a certificate from Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, relating to Kimura's appearance in the new 2013 Guinness World Records book in October 2012. Kimura was unwell during his 116th birthday, but recieved many well wishes, including a video message from the Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe.

Later life

Kimura would be woken up by his grandson's widow Eiko, everyday at 7:30am, and would help him get on his wheelchair and take him to the dining room where he would eat his breakfast. He had never suffered from any serious diseases until 2013. He would read the newspaper with a magnifying glass. He was positive and optimistic, and would be cheerful when visited by guests. He enjoyed reading newspapers and watching sumo wrestling and parliamentary debates on television. Kimura resided in Kyōtango in the Kyoto Prefecture, with his eldest son's widow, 83, and his grandson's widow Eiko Miyake, 59, in a two storey wooden house he built during the 1960's. Kimura's condition started worsening in the last few months of his life, he became completely bedridden in February 2013, and was in the hospital on 11 May the same year for pnuemonia. He died of natural causes a month later on 12 June 2013 at 2:08am local time. He was survived by 5 children, 13 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren.

Death

Kimura died on 12 June 2013 at the age of 116 years, 54 days as the oldest verified male ever, one of the top 10 oldest people ever and the second-oldest Japanese person ever after Tane Ikai.

Jiroemon Kimura was in the hospital for pnuemonia from 11 May 2013. He died of natural causes in a hospital in Kyoto, Japan at 2:08 am on 12 June local time. After his death, Salustiano Sanchez became the oldest living man, and Misao Okawa became the oldest living person.